L is for Love
by Moriko220
Summary: L has fallen in love with the new girl on the task force, but what will come of it? And what about the KIRA case, and an old enemy returning for the kill? Summar is terrible, but story is good, promise! Discontinued. May return in the future for reviews
1. Chapter 1: I'll Be Here

Moriko answered the door to her small apartment-like complex in the Taskforce headquarters. "Oh, Ryuzaki-sama! Was there something you needed…?" L nodded, nibbling at his thumb nail as he stood slouched in the doorway.

"Yes, there is a rather pressing matter that I must discuss with you. It will not take long, I promise" She quickly moved aside and allowed him to enter, closing the door behind him.

"I'm so sorry, if I'd have known you were coming then I would have prepared something for you to eat…I have cheesecake in the fridge, if you'd like some of that." L felt his stomach growl quietly at the thought of her homemade cheesecake.

"Perhaps in a moment, but right now we have important things to talk about." He walked through the living room and into her bedroom, taking careful consideration not to knock over her large stack of books beside the door. Moriko followed him in and closed the door behind her, sitting on the bed with her knees tucked underneath her. L, not receiving any invitation to but knowing it was alright, sat a few feet away next to her.

"So…what is it, Ryuzaki-sama? Does it have to do with the KIRA case?" she asked, wondering why he hadn't immediately began telling her what was so obviously important.

"No, this matter has no relation to the case at hand…rather, it's a little case of my own that I've been investigating on the side."

She nodded, "I see…I'll be sure to help in any way I can." Neither of them spoke for a moment and, to help relieve her nervousness, Moriko began to twirl her long, black hair around her fingers. "What is it? You can tell me, I promise I won't tell anybody." L felt his heart rate increase slightly as her tried to remember what he'd read on Google. '_Men with a more confident appearance and air about them seem to be found more attractive to the majority of women_.' That was what the article had said, though most of it was about how there is no real definition for it which really meant that they didn't know. Feeling the silence begin to make even him nervous, he looked over at her and leaned in closer. She didn't seem to notice as she continued to play with her hair. Finally, feeling the pressure increase, he gathered up his courage and moved in even closer.

"Moriko-sama…I love you," he said, leaning forward and capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. Her eyes went wide at the blunt confession and even more so at the kiss, to which a quiet gasp escaped her lips. 'H-…H-he loves me?…' Worried at the lack of a reaction he received, L pulled away slightly to look at her. She was trembling slightly, surprise evident on her normally calm features and her lips parted from the small gasp she'd made. He could tell from her eyes only that she was shocked but nothing more. He greatly disliked that he couldn't tell what she was thinking, and he felt his stomach grow heavy. 'I do not understand why I feel so…the only chance that she will say no is a 50% chance…however, the chance she will say yes, that is also only 50%.' He watched with worried fascination as she began to fidget with her hands, staring down at her lap nervously. 'Never in my life have I ever felt this way. Everything she does seems to lower my deductive abilities, and even more so whenever she speaks to me in her soft, kind voice…' He felt his head droop slightly as he now stared down at her shaking hands, resting in her lap and scrunching the material of her skirt. 'Perhaps she would better prefer a more normal man than I, with my strange ways…' L felt his eyes sting as tears began to prick at the corners of his charcoal eyes. 'She is not safe for me…Every time I am around her, I cannot think clearly. My deductive ability, my reasoning skills, everything decreases dramatically around her…except…the affection I have for her.' He was startled out of his thoughts as he felt a warm hand gently touch his own, and he now noticed that his hands were also shaking ever so slightly.

"Ryuzaki-sama…I-I don't…" He felt his heart throb, '"I don't feel the same way."' He could hear her voice already, sympathetic and pitying. "Um…I-I don't know what to say…e-exactly…" she said, a blush staining her cheeks the lightest shade of red. Feeling already defeated, L stood and headed for the door.

"Please do not worry about it…I am sorry for imposing on you, Moriko-sama," he said, his voice shaking only the slightest bit. Suddenly, he felt something grasp his sleeve gently, just enough to return his attention to her.

"N-no, that's not…th-that's not what I meant…p-please…" She pulled lightly on his sleeve, telling him that she wanted for him to sit down again. After a moment, he did so, sitting in his normally abnormal fashion, with both knees drawn close to his chest. Once he was perched on the edge of her bed once again, she took a shaky breath and tried to find her words. "I-I meant only that…I-I didn't know how to react right away. I mean…n-no one's ever um…k-kissed me before…I also never expected you to…t-to say something like that…a-at least, not to me…" Her blush returned full force as she stuttered nervously. L, in the back of his mind, thought it to be extremely cute, but didn't say anything. "R-Ryuzaki-sama…I-I always…always thought of this moment… I-I never thought it would actually come, I only dreamed about it…" At this her blush intensified, and L couldn't help but wonder what exactly she had imagined in her mind. "B-but…I-I…I care very much for you…a-and admire you. You're risking your life for everyone else…Trying to catch KIRA…you're very brave for that. I think you're amazing. You…you must have been so terrified, when you saw Ukita-san die…discovering that KIRA could kill with only a face…you must have been so afraid for your life. But, while others were panicking, you tried to think straight…you tried to make sure we all made it out alive…and we did." She spoke more quietly now, so much that L had to strain to hear better. Her free hand was twisting the material of her skirt relentlessly, her face stained crimson. "R-Ryuzaki-sama…I-I never…wanted to say anything because…I-I figured you'd just turn me down, b-but…" She gripped his hand a little tighter, struggling to meet his eyes with her own sapphire, tear-filled eyes. "For the longest time…I-I've wanted to tell you that I…I-I…" She was trying to force herself to say what she'd wanted to for so long, but found that her voice had died in her throat. Tears of embarrassment, happiness, and sadness rolled down her cheeks, dripping onto her hands and bed. 'I've finally gotten the chance to talk with him…but I still can't say it. Why…what good is this time alone if I can't even tell him how I feel?!' L now felt his eyes sting more fiercely, his hands shaking enough to see clearly. He didn't know why or how, but he'd somehow fallen in love with her, and, KIRA case or not, he wasn't going to let her run away from him. Gently and hesitantly, he touched the side of her face with his free hand, wiping away the crystalline tears with his thumb. She looked at him ashamedly; he could tell how desperately she wanted to return to staring at her lap. He looked at her and felt something wet slide down his cheek; he did not stare blankly and piercingly the way he usually did. His eyes and expression were gentle and warm, even as a single tear fell from his dark grey eyes.

"I will make this more simple for you…Do you feel the same about me?" he asked, trying to suppress the earnest in his voice. Moriko felt her face heat up immediately as her blush increased more, if possible, and she tried to look down again. L stopped her, holding her hand more tightly and raising her face up to meet his. "Please…a yes or no will suffice…do you love me?" His voice was now desperate, as if he would be unable to survive if he did not receive an answer there and then. The raven haired girl's entire body was trembling and, unable to find her voice, let her heart take over. She slowly leaned forward, touching his cheek with a shaky hand, and met his lips with her own. She closed her eyes and hoped for the best, as she had never kissed anyone before. L felt his own face heat up dramatically as he also blushed, his eyes slowly closing on their own accord as he gently pushed back, deepening the kiss. Tears slipped from his eyes, feeling his heart swell and his head swim with warm, fuzzy feelings. It was an unknown feeling to him, one he himself had never experienced, but he found it to his liking. 'So…this is what love feels like…' He hesitantly pulled away from this kiss, his face flushed and his breathing irregular. Moriko also pulled back, opening her eyes and looking at him.

She smiled and giggled quietly, "I-I guess it's a bit difficult…what with your knees in the way." He also felt himself smile happily, not in the way he had in front of the Taskforce. Now, he smiled with his entire being: his eyes glowed, his face brightened considerably, and with the rosy color added to his cheeks, he appeared healthier than he'd ever looked before.

"Yes, you are correct…perhaps it would be easier if I were to…" he drifted off as he put his feet down flat onto the floor and straightened his posture. Moriko gasped; he was nearly a head taller than she'd thought he was. "Now," he said, smiling at her shyly, "would you care to try it again this way?" She blushed darker, to L's amazement, and nodded, suddenly feeling very shy. Scooting closer to L, until they were just about touching, she leaned in closer. Their faces were mere centimeters apart when-

"L- I mean Ryuzaki! We've gotten a new lead on the KIRA-…um…Ryuzaki? Moriko-chan? Where are you?" Matsuda came in, without a single knock, and was looking for them in her apartment. L nearly growled in frustration, 'Stupid Matsuda-san…'

Moriko got up and quickly opened the door, "Matsuda-san, we're in here! Sorry to keep you waiting!" She closed the door most of the way and looked back at L, smiling, and held out her hand for him to get up. He took her hand and, just as he was about to pull himself up, Matsuda pushed the door open and knocked Moriko off balance.

"Oops, sorry about that, Moriko-" he stopped when he saw the two of them. To keep her from falling, L had grabbed her, and they had been knocked backward onto the bed, with her laying on top of him. "…-chan…um….did I come at a bad time?…" The young police officer looked away embarrassedly, feeling more than a little foolish. Moriko was unable to speak she was blushing so badly, and L was far too angry at Matsuda to say much. At that moment, the cameras were turned on in the room, and Light, Soichiro, Aizawa, and the shinigami Ryuk could see them.

"Whoa! Hyuk hyuk, who knew L was the type?" They found themselves as stunned as Matsuda, who had since apologized and run out of the room, his face beet red. After a moment, Moriko realized she was still lying on L and quickly got up.

"I-I'm so sorry! I-I was, I-I didn't mean to land on you like that!" Feeling his anger at Matsuda for ruining the moment for him fade, he sighed quietly and pulled her back down onto him, moving so his head rested on one of her seemingly hundreds of pillows. The once again stunned girl could only look up at him. "R-Ryuzaki-sama…?" He hugged her to him tightly and felt his eyes grow heavy.

"I find myself in need of sleep…though I am sure I will be unable to attain it. Will you lay with me here for a while, Moriko-chan?" Her heart jumped at the sound of him saying her name in such an endearing tone, but she calmed once she saw just how exhausted he really looked.

"Yes…I'll lay here with you for as long as you like, L-kun," she said, moving a lock of his jet black hair out of his face. He smiled and hugged her as close to him as he could.

"We may not be able to stay here that long…but I believe tonight will be long enough. What I would really like is to hear you say my name once more. You called me 'L-kun'." A smile graced her lips as she moved to look up at him, her eyes full of warmth.

"L-kun…" L pulled her up to meet him and kissed her sweetly on the lips, feeling his love swell every time he heard her voice utter his name. 'Her voice, so soothing and calm…I feel as if I might fall asleep just from the sound of it,' he thought to himself as his eyelids grew heavy. "You should sleep L-kun…I'll still be here in the morning when you wake," she said, resting her head on his chest. Quickly, L reached down and grasped a blanket, pulling it over Moriko and himself.

"I will try, though I do not know if I will be able to. I have not slept properly in a long while." He knew, though, that in no time he'd be dreaming. Dreaming of her, as he had for the past few months. His eyes closed, and sleep began to overtake him. However, just before both of them slipped into the warmth of sleep, he heard her voice, soft and sweet.

"I love you, L-kun…"


	2. Chapter 2: When You Awaken

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, L, or anyone else listed in this story, though I wish I did… *sniff* It's sad not owning L, but I'll be alright… If I did own Death Note, then Light wouldn't have existed . …)**

**~~Chapter Two~~**

The moon shone brightly through the nearby window, casting a white shadow over the two sleeping figures. With such minimal amounts of sleep during the last few months, L now slept soundly with Moriko in his arms. He dreamt of happier days, without KIRA or Matsuda to ruin anything, and of a world where he and Moriko could life peacefully. In his mind he could hear her voice, repeating the thing he had always wanted to hear most in his life.

~~"I love you, L-kun…" Moriko said, smiling as she always did. She walked alongside him, holding his hand gently in hers. He laced their fingers together as he stopped, looking deep into her sapphire blue eyes.

"Moriko-chan…there is something I must ask you."

She turned and looked back at him, smiling calmly, "You can ask me anything, L-kun. What is it?" L's face flushed as he fumbled around in his jeans pocket, searching with his fingers.

"Well…I apologize if I do not perform this correctly, but…" Finding his prize, he carefully pulled out a sparkling silver ring with a heart in the center, encrusted with small diamonds. In the center of the heart was a large, shimmering sapphire that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Moriko stared in shock and awe first at the ring, then into L's hopeful eyes. "Moriko-chan…will you remain by my side forever, no matter what may come in the future, not only as my love and my life…but as my wife as well?" She stood silently for a moment before smiling, tears present in her beautiful eyes.

"Oh, L-kun…I-I've never even dreamed of…Yes…Y-yes, of course! Of course I will!" she said excitedly, hugging him tightly around the neck. L embraced her, feeling as though his heart may burst as tears of happiness welled in the corners of his eyes, and gently held her hand as he prepared to slip the ring onto her finger. Just as the sterling silver touched her skin, a voice came from behind them.

"I've got you now, L…" Light Yagami was sitting beneath a nearby tree, a black notebook in hand. Smirking, he flipped it open and began writing, "M-O-R-I-K-O…K-U-R-A-T-…" L ran toward him, yelling at the top of his lungs as his heart raced in panic.

"NO, DON'T!!!"

"…-A." Light closed the notebook and disappeared, laughing as he went. L stood staring where KIRA had disappeared, 'Damn you, Yagami!' He was too focused on Light to notice until it was too late, and he heard her cry out.

"A-ahh! …L-k-…k-kun…" He whirled around and saw Moriko clutching at her chest, her normally calm features contorted in pain and terror. She fell to one knee, reaching out to him as she began to lose her strength.

"Moriko!" L ran back to her as fast as his legs could carry him, but every step he took seemed to only increase the distance between them. Then, almost as if it were in slow motion in a movie, he watched her collapse to the ground, her long black hair covering her like a thick, dark coverlet encasing a corpse at an open casket funeral. He felt his heart wrench painfully in his chest as he saw the light leave her once dazzling blue eyes, and the life left her body which was, only moments before, so vividly animated. The raven haired detective stopped in his tracks, staring in disbelief and horror. "Mo-…Moriko…no…" He felt himself begin to shake, so badly he fell to his knees. He fought back heartbroken sobs as he finally realized what had occurred. "…Sh-she's gone…b-but-"

'You should sleep, L-kun…I'll still be here in the morning when you wake.' Her voice revisited his mind as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Hoping he'd see her alive and well once again, he slowly turned. Light stood behind him, smirking malevolently as he pulled a hand gun from his jacket, pointed it at L's head, and pulled the trigger.

"I've got you now, L."

'I love you…L-kun.'~~

L awoke with a start, his body covered in a fine sheen of sweat. His heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears, deafening him, and his breathing was irregular and ragged. He lay there momentarily, laying an arm over his eyes as he tried to recollect his thoughts. He then quickly sat up, feeling something was very wrong: Moriko was gone. "…Moriko-chan…?" He received no answer. The detective felt himself begin to panic slightly, 'Did I imagine all of that? …No, I would not have been in bed otherwise…' He bit his thumb roughly, 'I greatly dislike this. She said she would be here when I woke…Moriko does not lie, so where could she have gone?' L sighed, "I will wait for her." He sat in her very comfortable computer chair and attempted to wait.

After five minutes, what seemed like an eternity to the now very worried L, passed by, he began to pace about the room and gnawed on his thumb roughly. 'This is ridiculous…Because I experienced that such an overactive display of my sleeping subconscious, I am not thinking as clearly and therefore worrying about foolish, irrational things,' he thought, watching the door every few seconds. L glanced at the clock and, when he saw it read "12:00A.M.", growled quietly. 'Unacceptable! She is supposed to be here. Where could she possibly have gone off to so late at night?!…KIRA. However irrational the thought, if there is even a 0.1% chance that KIRA has somehow gotten to her, then I have wasted too much time already! I must go after her at once!' He quickly went to the door and opened it. WHAM!!! "……??" Confused, L looked past the door and saw a silhouette in the darkness.

"O-oww…um, g-good evening…or, actually, it's 'good morning' now," a soft and slightly groggy voice said.

"…Moriko-chan?" he asked hopefully, trying to see in the dark hallway.

"Yes? …L-kun, are you alright?" The man sighed in relief, feeling his panic subside.

"You know how early it is. Why were you not in your room sleeping?" he asked, heading back into her room. He flipped the light switch by the door on his way and, pausing a moment to see if she'd follow and join him, sat perched at the foot of the bed. After a short while she did follow, rubbing her reddening cheek, and she sat next to him.

"Um…w-well, I woke up and I could hardly breathe…you were embracing me so tightly, and you were repeating my name in your sleep." She looked at him worriedly for a moment before continuing, crumpling the fabric of her pajama pants in her hands. "Then, at one point…" she began hesitantly, "you started crying out in pain…and whimpering…Y-you held me so tightly that I started bruising, and I thought you might actually end up breaking one of my ribs…s-so uh…I eventually got up and went to the kitchen." L saw her glance at him sheepishly, "I-I figured if it was a nightmare then some strawberry shortcake might help…" Moriko then touched his hand gently, her eyes shimmering. "I'm sorry…I didn't even think that you might have preferred me to be here when you awoke from it…" He leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder, nuzzling her neck lovingly.

"Do not worry about it much. I am just glad that you are still here." He then felt something wet land on his cheek. "…Moriko-chan?" She was crying; hot tears were spilling from her sapphire eyes as her face began to flush slightly. Worried, L sat up and turned to face her, gently pushing her bangs away from her eyes. "Why are you crying? …What is wrong?"

She shook her head quickly, even a little too quickly as she replied. "I-I'm not c-crying…I'm f-fine…" she whimpered, willing herself to stop crying. 'He's on the KIRA case…we both are. It's sad…It's so sad. My heart feels like it's moaning in anguish…Even though we're finally together, KIRA could kill us…L could die…' Moriko struggled to silence the sobs that were wracking her small frame. Though she tried to force them down they still escaped as quiet whimpers. L watched her for a few moments before pulling her into a warm, comforting embrace.

"Moriko-chan…Who is it you are trying to convince? Because you are not sounding very persuasive at the moment…What has upset you so greatly?" he asked her gently, leaning back enough to see her flushed, tear-streaked face. After a moment of staring at the blankets on her bed, she sighed shakily.

"I-I…I j-just realized…h-how close t-to death you…w-we are…" She closed her eyes tightly, "I-I'm w-worried…y-you might d-die and…a-and l-leave me all a-alone…!" Sent into a new fit of quiet sobs, her thin form shook in L's arms. He wiped her tears away and held her: the only thing he could think to do then. He understood how she felt. He himself had worried about those things himself many times since meeting her, though before he had no understanding of why. Losing someone is something that is very painful, and though everyone fears being alone, for Moriko that fear was enough to break her. 'I myself cannot imagine how I would live on in a world without Moriko…' L sighed quietly, caressing her hair gently.

"All living things die at some point, so I cannot tell you that I will never die. However, I can promise you that KIRA will be brought to justice," he said, pulling her back just enough for their eyes to meet. "When this case is solved…we will be able to live with less fear. Together…" Moriko looked up at him then, understanding that, so long as she was with him, she would always be at risk of being sought after by people who want to kill him. She knew this, and though normally that would have been more than enough to drive any normal woman away, she way not a normal woman.

"…Right," she said quietly, touching her forehead to his. "As long as I'm with you…none of that matters to me. I will go to hell and back for you…I will be with you when KIRA meets his end…" L felt his heart skip a beat, realizing that she meant every single word. 'Her love for me must truly be amazing…'

"Moriko-chan…" She smiled up at him lovingly before pulling away completely and lying under the covers. The detective quickly got up and switched off the lights before settling into bed himself beside her, taking her into his arms. She sighed contentedly and moved as close as possible to him, hiding her face in his neck. L felt himself smile, "Is Moriko-chan turning into a feline??" He heard a confused noise escape her, making his smile widen.

"What do you mean…?" she asked sleepily, stifling a yawn.

"You are being very feline-like…because you are so 'snuggly'" L could feel her face heat considerably against his neck and he chuckled quietly. "I may just become a cat person." She didn't respond to this because she had already fallen asleep, her breathing slow and deep. He hugged her closer to him, being sure not to squeeze her too tightly, before nuzzling his nose in her hair ever so slightly and falling asleep himself.

**(Author's Note: Okay, I wanted to apologize for something…I know that L is very OCC in this story. But I couldn't help it! I started this before I became a major fan, so I had to keep with it, rather than start over…I'm lazy like that. And I'm so very sorry, but I won't change how it's written so far, and I'll stick with how I've been writing it. Oh, and also…The next chapter is completely out of the blue. I just wrote it, and I decided to add it in here. It's rated M, so be warned. Skip it if you don't like or will be offended by that sort of thing. I can tell you that I refused to use certain crude terms. But anyways, I'm beginning to rant, so I'll wrap this up. I'm sorry! Please forgive me…and tell me what you think through reviews, please! Thank you!!)**


	3. Chapter 3: L is for Love

_(A.N.: Once again, I do not own Death Note, L, Matsuda, or anyone else mentioned in this fan fiction besides Moriko-chan. I hope you like this…It took a bit of courage building towards the end, but, other than that, this was a lot of fun to write. …I admit, I'm a bit of a closet pervert . My friends could tell you… But I digress. I hope you enjoy, and let this be a warning to anyone who does not want to read a hentai, lemon, sex scene, whatever you want to call it.)_

~~Chapter Three~~

A yawn echoed against the nearly empty investigation room; Matsuda stretched and fought to keep his eyes open and focused as he continued to stare, unbearably bored, at the monitors in front of him, a sleeping Amane Misa shown on the screen, asleep. 'Lucky…' he thought, yawning again. Mogi got up from his spot on the couch and walked over to the younger man.

"I'll take over now. Go sleep. It's nearly two in the morning" Mumbling a thank you, Matsuda got up onto his feet and stumbled over to the couch, collapsing onto it and falling asleep almost immediately. Sitting in the adjacent, well lit corner of the room was L, his unkempt looking hair falling in front of his eyes. He scanned numerous files as he slurped at a rather large, overly sweetened cup of coffee: it was, quite literally, a cup of sugar moistened with coffee.

Moriko-chan, would you mind passing my cake?" he asked, glancing at the woman beside him. She shook her head and handed him the plate, holding a large piece of his favorite sweet: strawberry shortcake. "Thank you very much." He felt his stomach growl fiercely as the scent of strawberries, cream, and freshly baked pound cake met his nose; L quickly took a bite, pushing the large strawberry topping the cake aside for him to eat last. 'We have been investigating the KIRA case for six months now, yet we seem to be no closer than when we began…Light-kun is, or was, KIRA. That much I know for certain…However, with no real physical evidence, I can't convict him just yet.' He sighed and dipped his index finger into the whipped cream topping of his cake, staring at it blankly for a moment before bringing it to his lips.

"Ah, L-kun, take a-…" Moriko turned towards him, preparing to share something about the case at hand with him, but was stopped short. L's tongue darted out of his mouth, licking the cream off of his finger, unknowingly, leaving her breathless. Her face heated up dramatically as a deep red stained her cheeks.

Noticing her staring at him, L glanced at her curiously, head tilted to the side. "Is something the matter, Moriko-chan??" He watched her carefully, noticing her suspicious movements and her nervous habit of twirling her hair around her fingers. She shook her head quickly, attempting to push down her blush and tried not to smile nervously and failed.

"N-no, n-nothing at all! Everything's f-fine!" Looking back down at her files quickly, she continued, trying to keep her voice calm. "It's just that um…w-well, look here. All of these people died of heart attacks from Kagameta Industries two weeks ago. This may be the work of a new KIRA, don't you think?"

"Yes…" L said quietly, looking over the files she had handed to him. "That is very likely. Good work with catching that, Moriko-chan. This might help us move forward in the investigation, if only one step." Moriko nodded, smiling, and left her spot beside him on the sofa in the far corner of the room to deliver the documents to Light, a.k.a. KIRA. He watched her leave for a moment before continuing to scan the documents before him, his mind in a very different place.

'She had been staring at me…why was she blushing so badly? What did I do that affected her so greatly?' He took the last bite of his cake, licking the cream off of his lips before setting the plate down quietly on the coffee table nearby. 'My private investigation of her is getting very interesting lately. I've caught her staring at me a lot recently as well. Perhaps she is now in the same situation I have been in for the past couple months…' He stabbed the large strawberry left on his plate with his fork, sucking the remaining whipped cream off of its glossy, deep red surface before popping it into his mouth. _(Author's Note: Yes, L-kun is being seductive without being aware of it. lol poor Moriko-chan…)_ Moriko dropped one of the files on her way back from Light's desk and, bending over to pick them up, gave L a magnificent view of her breasts through the top of her tank-top, something that she very rarely wore. Thinking perverted, forbidden thoughts, L felt his loins heat considerably. He sighed, forcing his mind to focus on the work before him. His love soon returned and sat next to him again, one knee pulled up to her chest.

"He said that he'd try to get to it tomorrow, but he's busy looking through something else for me. I suggested that he check Yotsuba's stocks and average income. Is that alright with you, L-kun?" she asked, leaning forward to grab the glass of chocolate milk on the table in front of her. She took a large drink, her throat dry from her previous distractions _(Author's Note: L with the cake…mmm, XD sexy cake. lol.)_

"Yes, that will be-" he stopped mid-sentence, transfixed on the small drop of milk he saw roll down from the corner of her mouth to her chin, before he finally found his voice again, "…-fine." He felt the urge to lean forward and get it, but she felt it and licked at it, her wet, pink tongue erasing it from her skin. His breath caught in his throat and his lower region throbbed, causing a nearly inaudible moan to escape his lips. 'Damn…why is she able to always affect me so strongly? …This could pose a bit of a problem.' He quickly got up and strode past Moriko and towards the door. "I am going to investigate in my room for the rest of the evening. Please feel free to get some rest, all of you. Moriko, I will join you shortly." Without waiting for any response he left, nearly running to his private suite on the next floor up. Once safely there, he locked all three locks on the door and collapsed into a heavily padded chair, groaning quietly. 'I had no idea it could hurt so badly to run in this…condition. This time, it will take a while for it to subside…' He sighed heavily, recalling how nearly every other day for the past two months he had escaped to his bathroom and taken a very long, very cold shower. To be honest, he was thoroughly sick of it.

Looking for a distraction, he opened up his laptop and brought up the camera images in Moriko's room, curious at whether she was asleep or not. He nearly gasped as she appeared on the screen, undressing for a shower. L felt his face heat with embarrassment and his lower abdomen tightened almost painfully, but he made no move to switch off the camera feed or close his laptop again. He watched as she slipped off her black lounge pants and blue and white plaid button-up pajama shirt and, unfortunately, when she removed her white tank top and her DD sized bra. The man felt a jolt shoot down his spine, sparking a fire in his loins, his pants becoming almost unbearably tight. His eyes, those of a detective trained to see all, roamed over her body, drinking in every detail, every curve, even the slightest of movements she made. His breathing steadily became labored as his arousal increased. The now obvious hard he had forced him to sit with his feet on the floor, lowering his reasoning ability drastically. His entire body was quivering and reacting in a way it never had before meeting Moriko. 'H-how does she do this to me…? I don't understand…' He groaned in pleasured pain as he saw that she was now completely naked, unaware of the person watching her. She stepped carefully into the small shower in her room and drew the curtain closed.

L sat there for a moment, completely motionless, as he stared at her silhouette through the steam and the shower curtain. '…I shouldn't…I know I shouldn't, it's wrong…b-but…' He clicked on the camera images in the bathroom, mainly the shower. 'I can't help that I feel this way…L or not, I'm only human.' Though he felt guilty in the back of his mind, his now more irrational mind made him watch as his love showered, moving to stand underneath the shower head. The water cascading over her pale flesh and through her pure, raven colored hair was, at that moment, the most beautiful, and erotic, thing he had ever seen. With a deep breath he unzipped his baggy jeans and leaned further back into the chair, slipping his boxers down and shivering in anticipation as his arousal met the cooler air in the room.

_(Author's Note: Words like c**k and d**k aren't very appealing to me, so I prefer to use less crude terms, such as length, member, arousal, or manhood. The same goes for the female version as well: although I'll either use womanhood or some form of simile or metaphor, I won't use the other name for a cat…and you all know what I mean -_- . Either way, sorry if it gets annoying, but I refuse to use anything else. Plus, resorting to using different words is better than having a bunch of "bleeped out" words.)_

He moaned lightly, slowly running a hand over his length. "Moriko…" He moaned her name, taking himself more fully in hand and spreading his legs, moving his hand at a slow, steady rhythm. 'Only you are capable of doing this to me…You make my brilliant mind go blank with the slightest thing…Driving me insane as I sit here, watching you shower like such a voyeur... ' He glanced at the computer screen and saw something he was sure would haunt him the rest of his life: She was washing her hair with her favorite raspberry scented shampoo that he loved, the white foam from it sliding down her chest and stomach, between the paleness of her thighs, and down onto the hard, tile floor. A wave of pleasure crashed over him, pushing him over the edge. The built up tension in his loins released as he came with a long, light moan, his essence covering his hand and his lap. His head crashed back against the chair, his chest heaving as he panted heavily. After a few minutes of catching his breath, he changed out of his now soiled clothing and into a different pair of identical jeans and a long sleeved white shirt. Exhausted, he flopped onto his bed and curled up in a tight ball, feeling ashamed of himself for what he'd done. "…I only hope this doesn't happen ever again."

**"Ohhh, L-kun…" Moriko moaned blissfully, arching her back and leaning on all fours towards him. Her skin was pink and flushed, her lips wet and shimmering in the minimal light the moon offered. "L-kun…take me, please…I can't stand it anymore. I need you, now," she begged, leaning even closer and kissing down his neck and chest. "Moriko…" L murmured, leaning his head to the side to grant her better access. She moved closer, straddling his hips and looking at him shyly. "L-kun…I want you- no, need you." Her hands moved down his chest and stomach, caressing tenderly as she neared the front of his boxers. "Do you…need me, too, L-kun…?"**

L awoke with a loud groan, his body shaking and drenched in sweat. His pants were wet and sticky with the final result of his dream and, realizing that things only get worse before they get better, sighed heavily. 'Again…I'm glad I did not choose to sleep in Moriko-chan's room tonight.' He looked over at the clock on the table beside his bed, seeing that it was 2:58 a.m., almost three in the morning. Knowing he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, he got up and headed for the bathroom, deciding it would be best to take a shower before trying to get back to work. "I do not know how much longer I can keep hiding this from her…*sigh*." ~~

On the opposite side of L's bedroom door, Moriko stood, petrified. Her face felt like it would never lose the dark red blush it held. She had gone to his room because she couldn't sleep, and sleeping with L always relaxed her enough to where she quickly fell asleep. However, when she had arrived, she was met with L, the world's greatest three detectives, in the middle of a very erotic dream, about her. She didn't know if she should laugh, cry, faint, or a combination of them. Deciding on 'none of the above', she bravely opened the door, a sound of running water met her ears. Thinking he was already in the shower, she walked over to and opened the bathroom door, hoping to wash her face before settling into bed for the night with her love. ~~

Moriko opened the bathroom door, immediately wishing she hadn't: L was standing there in only his boxers, preparing to take them off as well. Her blush increased and her eyes, wide with shock, decided to wander a bit. The nearly six pounds of sugar he ate on a daily basis didn't show on him at all, his body thin, almost feminine in appearance, yet well toned. His skin was very light, lighter than even her own, and contrasted beautifully with his dark hair and eyes. Her heart skipped a beat when their eyes met, his deep, black orbs staring distractedly into her blue ones. When he saw she was looking at him he blushed, suddenly looking shy as he tried to cover himself up with a towel. "M-Moriko-chan…wh-what is it? …"

'Why is he hiding…? Is he concerned with me seeing him and thinking he looks odd?' She thought as she looked away quickly, casting her eyes onto the floor at her left.

"I just…I-I couldn't sleep, s-so I thought that if I came and slept with you, then…" Suddenly, her brain stopped directing her as she walked towards him. He, in turn, stepped away from her, backing up until his back touched the cold tile of the wall behind him. She hesitantly grabbed onto the towel he was holding onto and pushed it aside, standing on her toes and resting her quivering hands on his toned chest. "I've just discovered something…you were having as much difficulty sleeping as I was, weren't you…?"~~

"I've just discovered something…you were having as much difficulty sleeping as I was, weren't you…?" The temperature in the bathroom seemed to rise five degrees a minute as she got up on the tips of her toes, touching her nose to L's own. "I don't know what to do…I-I've never felt this way about anyone before…" she said quietly, tears beginning to just barely show at the corners of her eyes. Then she mumbled, almost too quietly to hear, "I'm sorry…I might not be able to please you as well as a normal woman could…" He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her full on the lips, knowing exactly how she felt. The only woman he has ever felt this strongly for has been driving him to the brink of insanity for the last two months. She was there, trying her best to seduce him but not knowing how, feeling inadequate and inferior to other females, and he didn't even know how to properly respond. They both were in desperate need of something they knew very little, if anything, about; this just wasn't the same as reading about it in Health or Sex Ed. class. She looked away from him in embarrassment, her hands accidentally sliding down his chest lightly. He shivered in response then tried to silence the gasp that escaped his lips when they ghosted over the thin material of his boxers that covered his thighs. He knew then that he would go completely mad if he didn't have her right then. His rational mind was lost, clouded with the nearly uncontrollable love and lust he felt from just a single accidental touch. KIRA was the farthest thing from his mind at that moment; He might have even forgotten who he was entirely.~~

L's grasp around Moriko's waist tightened, causing her to look up at him curiously. "Moriko…come with me." Her face went bright red at the double meaning of his statement. He opened the door leading to his surprisingly large shower _(Author's Note: It's probably about 10 x 10, or 12 x 12...something like that. It's big! And much more, but I'll let you all figure things out as you read. )_ and looked at her, a blush staining his cheeks as he also realized what he'd said. "Would you care to shower with me…? I would understand if you saw it as too inappropriate..." She stayed silent and, after a few minutes of waiting, L removed his last article of clothing very shyly and stepped in, disappearing into the mist and steam the high-pressure water created.

Moriko clutched at her shirt nervously, 'He isn't very used to such intimate physical contact…Does he really want to do what I think he wants to…? If he feels the same way I do…then he's being overwhelmed by love and desire, confused…' She sighed and hesitantly undressed, stepping into the shower as she strained to see. "U-um…L-kun?" She jumped as she felt someone grasp her hand and pull her to the back of the shower. Knowing it was L, she followed, forcing her eyes to remain on the back of his head to keep from wandering. L tried to keep his mind away from perverted thoughts as he led her after him, at the same time remembering what he had watched earlier. "You are welcome here whenever you like…there is more room than the shower in your suite," he said, his mind disobeying him once again as the familiar warmth began to grow in his lower abdomen. "…You are very beautiful, Moriko-chan." She laughed a little too nervously, blushing still as her grip on his hand tightened.

"N-no, not at all…I'm just average at best, really…not like Misa-san, she's beautiful. And cute." L stopped, turning around to face her, his eyes forced to focus solely on her face and not on her body, shrouded in a fine cloak of mist.

"I do not care about Misa-san, just as you know that I do not waste words…You are the only thing in this world that can calm me and drive me nearly insane simultaneously," he said, his voice holding a certain warmth that made Moriko want to melt. He placed a hand on her hip, the other cupping her cheek gently as he stared into her eyes. "You're the only thing I've ever wanted…no, the only thing I've ever needed. Moriko-chan…I love you." He captured her lips in a passionate kiss, pulling her closer to him until their bodies just barely touched. She stood in shock for a moment and L worried that he'd gone too far; however, his fears were banished when she began to kiss him back with equal passion, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull herself closer than either of them thought possible. _(Author's Note: Once again…Sorry L is a little/very OOC in this fanfiction. I tried my best, but then again, no one knows what horny L acts like. Unfortunately, they didn't show anything like that in the manga or the anime.)_

"I love…you, too…L-kun," she murmured in between kisses, running her hands through his untamed, black hair. L smiled against her lips, and then moved to kissing her neck. She gasped out quietly, leaning her head to one side to give him better access. He chuckled quietly, sucking and licking on the pale flesh of her neck, causing her to hum softly, her hands slipping down his sides. He shivered, stopping in his ministrations long enough to kiss her on the lips encouragingly. She giggled quietly, "Is L-kun really that sensitive..?" L continued kissing her, running his tongue along her bottom lip experimentally.

'Yes…that's something I want only you to know, Moriko…' The young woman in his arms shivered at the feeling and opened her mouth, granting him access. He immediately plunged into the cavers of her mouth, savoring the semi-sweet taste of dark chocolate covered strawberries and cheese cake, two of his favorite sweets. He then ran his tongue along the length of hers, trying to coax her into taking part, also. She did, doing the same he had done to her as she moved her hips slightly to move closer, causing L to moan loudly. Startled, she quickly pulled away and stepped back, looking up at him worriedly. "N-no…y-you didn't hurt me…p-please…"

Moriko glanced down, noticed his 'problem' and blushed furiously. She saw the desperation in his lust clouded eyes and, without a word, stepped closer to him once again and gently ran her fingertips over the length of his arousal. He groaned pleasurably and felt his knees weaken. 'With just a feather-light touch…this feels much better than doing it myself.' "Uhn…M-Moriko…" Gaining a bit more confidence she pushed him onto one of the built in benches, kneeling in front of him. She looked up at L, who was panting and staring down at her through half-lidded eyes, before stroking her hand over his length gently and slowly. His breathing hitched in his throat and he breathed a moan, his eyes closing of their own accord. "A-ah…p-please, m-move fas-ster ohh…" She blushed at the tone of desperate, unfulfilled desire in his normally monotonous voice before complying, wrapping her hand around him and quickening her pace. L's legs spread apart of their own accord, his mind a tangled mess of pleasure induced thoughts and the floods of ecstasy crashing over him. He moaned loudly, thrusting into her hand as each stroke sprung him to life.

'Sh-she has to stop…I-If she doesn't-' He put a hand on hers firmly, halting its movement as he tried to replenish his lungs with much needed oxygen. Moriko glanced up at him, worry and embarrassment written very clearly across her flushed face. 'Maybe I didn't do it right…I-I'm sorry, L-kun…' After his breathing had become closer to normal he gently moved a lock of ebony hair out from in front of her eyes with his index finger, "I do not believe it is very fair of me to be so…selfish? Perhaps it would be better for me to share these feelings …wouldn't you agree, Moriko-chan?" He smiled shyly, trying to ignore the very prominent arousal he now had, throbbing almost painfully with every beat of his heart. She blushed intensely, looking somewhat frightened for a moment before she thought to cover it.

"U-um…o-okay," she said, nodding once before she stood, covering her chest and looking away, waiting for him to move. L stood as well, taking her hand and leading her out of the shower and handing her a towel to dry off with. She took it without looking at him, rubbing the water droplets from her skin as he did the same. They then proceeded into L's bedroom, a rather well lit, large room with a very luxuriously decorated king-sized bed against the wall furthest from the hallway. Making her way over to the bed, she climbed onto it carefully before sitting against the headboard, her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. L sat beside her, suddenly feeling very guilty as he watched her try to hold together. 'I know she was assaulted in the past…perhaps this is too much for her…' Glancing over at him, Moriko saw the remorseful look on his face and sighed. "I-It's okay, L-kun…I-I'm just…nervous. You haven't pressured me into anything…" Her voice trembled slightly with what L was sure was a combination of fear and excitement, not that he could blame her. This was his first experience also, so he was just as anxious about it.

"You know that I will not force you to do anything…" he said gently, cupping her cheek in his hand as he kissed her softly on the lips. She nodded and, after a moment, laid back onto the pillows, her black hair a halo around her head. L felt his heart jump at the sight; carefully and slowly, he then crawled on top of her so his body hovered over hers with both hands on either side of her head. "Do not worry…if you wish to stop then tell me. You will never be forced by me…ever," he whispered, kissing her forehead. She nodded, her small body shaking as she clutched at her hair, twirling it relentlessly around her fingers. He leaned down closer, kissing her again, softly yet passionately to show he meant every word. His hands explored her body, running over each curve and caressing each and every inch of skin he could reach as their tongues danced together. 'Her skin is so soft…I didn't think anything could feel this smooth beneath any touch,' he thought as he began to remove her towel, looking her in the eyes to make sure it was okay. She blushed more and nodded, saying that it was alright to continue. L felt his entire body heat and throb as his eyes scanned over her naked body, remembering each and every curve, detail, and…scar? He gently ran his finger over a rather large scar cutting across her shoulder, looking at it with a troubled expression.

"He gave that to me…a long time ago," she muttered, covering it up with her hand as she looked away. "Please don't look at it…I know it makes me look hideous, but-" She was suddenly cut off as L kissed her, moving her hand away gently with his own.

"It does not make you hideous…If anything, it," he said quietly, leaning down and covering the scar with feather light kisses," makes you even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined." He gave her a small smile, watching as her eyes began to swim with tears and she smiled back at him.

"You truly are odd… but I think that's what I love most about you." She leaned up and kissed him, pressing her body against his. "I-I remember you saying something about sharing the feelings…correct?" L flushed red as he felt her bare chest against his own, smirking playfully before continuing his previous actions. His hands now ran over bare skin and forced the woman beneath him to shiver slightly.

"Yes…I do believe I said something to that effect earlier…" he said playfully, his hands caressing the sensitive skin on her sides as he kissed her neck. She leaned her head to one side, giving him better access. Her entire body was flushed and trembling as the new sensations began to overwhelm her senses. She was a virgin in the greatest sense, meaning she had not ever touched herself in any way before, and being so intimately close to someone was both exciting and frightening. L gently ran his hand up her thighs, caressing tenderly, before stopping just an inch away from her own arousal. Panting lightly, she surprised both L and herself by grabbing his hand and pulling it closer, spreading her legs a bit. Understanding what she meant by her silent pleas, he blushed darkly and kissed her harder, gently stroking her already slick womanhood with his thumb.

"A-ah…" Moriko gasped, her breathing erratic and chest heaving as she fought back the moan that threatened to escape her lips. Disappointed that she was still trying to remain composed, he slipped his index finger into her opening and picked up the pace of his stroking. The body beneath him forced itself to remain still as he entered a second finger into it, pumping them in and out at a slow pace. She bit her lip hard, clutching tightly at the sheets of L's bed as a whimper escaped her throat. L's arousal throbbed painfully, the sounds of her pants, whimpers, and stifled moans driving him nearly insane. "L-kun, p-please…" she moaned out, moving her hips away from his questing hand and kissing him, needy and passionate. Realizing what she meant he nodded, carefully positioning himself between her thighs.

"Moriko…" He gently touched the side of her face, "Are you sure you want to do this…?" She nodded, leaning into the affectionate touch and grasping his hand with her own.

"I can endure any pain if it means being closer to you, L-kun…" L felt his heart swell with love, and he leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers.

"I promise I will be gentle…Do you trust me?" he asked, his voice calm and soothing to the nervous girl beneath him. Moriko sighed shakily and nodded once.

"Yes…please, just go on…" Resting his head on her shoulder, he entered her quickly, sheathing his length within her. A cry of pain escaped her throat, tears sliding down her cheeks; she had never imagined it to hurt that badly. L stayed still within her, allowing her to adjust from the foreign intrusion as he softly kissed away her tears.

"I-I'm sorry…" he mumbled, forcing his body to remain still. The feeling of her around him was intense, almost more than he could bear. It took every ounce of self control that remained in him not to move. 'I will not make this a painful experience for her…' After a few moments she moved her hips up toward his slightly, telling him that she was ready. Drawing a deep breath, he thrust into her at a slow, steady rhythm, groaning at the amazing feelings that were flooding him. They moved together, perfectly in sync, fitting like two pieces of a puzzle.

"F-faster…A-ah! Please, L-k-kun…" Moriko moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck. He complied, moving into her more quickly and at a different angle as he quickly learned what felt best to her. Just one of the many perks of being a detective: you pick up on details and effects quickly. Her inner walls tightened around him once, twice as she released, her breathing no more than light gasps as her nails bit into the flesh of his shoulders. "L, I-I can't…hold on-" L silenced her with a kiss, knowing he was reaching his limit also. He thrust once more, his seed spilling into her at the same moment she met her limit the third time, moaning his name loudly into the kiss. He felt his head spin dizzily as the world seemed to erupt around them, every nerve in his body screaming and raging like a wildfire as waves of pleasure crashed over him. L moaned her name softly, almost a whimper, before their climaxes ended. Feeling completely spent and exhausted, he withdrew from her and collapsed on top of her, both panting heavily.

"…I can certainly tell you…I never imagined that happening to someone like me. It was indeed very enjoyable…Thank you, Moriko," he whispered into her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist securely and rolling over onto his back so she was lying on his chest.

"I should thank you…I never even imagined something like this…" She leaned down and kissed him gently, resting her head on his chest. Worn out from the release of pent up tension, they both found themselves nearly asleep. "I love you, L-kun…"

L smiled gently, stroking her hair before murmuring, "L Lawliet." Moriko looked at him, confused, before fully understanding exactly what he'd just said. She sat up a little, looking down at him almost surprised.

"Your name…but…why? Your alias is your shield…Why tell someone what your real name is? I'm not KIRA, but what if he were to capture and torture me until I told??" She sighed, thinking a moment, before realizing what he was thinking as well. That what she had just said made no real sense. He pulled her back down onto him, rubbing her back gently as his other hand twirled her soft, black hair around his fingers. "But why? …Why tell someone like me your true name?" He held her to him tightly, kissing her forehead.

"Because…I love you, too." He kissed her fully on the lips, not with passion or lust, but with love, and Moriko felt it. 'I know it is dangerous for anyone to know my real name…It was also dangerous for me to be in public, or to get close to anyone. But you…you drew me closer without my even knowing. I didn't mean to, but I fell in love with you…that's why. With this, I'm telling you that I trust you with my life…No, with my heart, my soul, everything.'

"Lawliet…" She smiled, nuzzling her cheek against his neck gently. 'This is a trust he's never placed in anyone else but me…I can understand how I fell in love with him, but for him to love me this deeply in return…' Then, she remembered what Matsuda had asked earlier that week. '"Do you ever wonder what L stands for?"' Moriko smiled then, "Love…" L looked at her with mild confusion on his face, though both of them were on the brink of sleep. "L is for love…" He smiled lovingly at her, kissing her one last time on the cheek before he fell asleep, knowing that his love would not be far behind.

_(A.N.: Thus ends the hentai scene of my fan fiction…I hope it wasn't too graphic *sweat drop* I was worried about that, but since you all said it was okay… I figured I may as well. Anyways, please leave a review telling me what you think, what you liked and didn't like, your views and opinions, etc. I would really appreciate it. By the way… I have up to chapter…six, I believe, written. It just takes me forever to get them on here. I'm sorry for that. Thank you for reading!)_


	4. Chapter 4: Growing Affections

(A.N.: I do not own Death Note; I only own the OC, Moriko Kurata. Please remember to leave a review whenever you can!)

~~Chapter Four~~

// …About three weeks later… //

**The taskforce headquarters was buzzing with activity, the new lead on Yotsuba getting them even closer to apprehending KIRA. L sat perched in a computer chair next to Light, munching almost happily on some chocolate pocky as his eyes scanned over the list of business men that had died the previous week.**

"**Hey…are you feeling okay, Moriko-chan? You don't look so good…" Matsuda asked, looking at the woman next to him whose skin appeared paler than usual.**

"**Huh?…No," she said, smiling weakly, "I'm alright, Matsuda-sa…" A wave of nausea crashed over her, giving her skin a very sickly green tint. "P-pardon me." She got up and ran to the restroom, locking the door behind her and falling to her knees in front of the toilet.**

"**I wonder if she's got the flu or something…She's been sick a little over a week now," Matsuda said, talking more to himself than anyone else, as he got up and walked over to the bathroom door. He knocked, trying his hardest to resist the urge to lean in and listen. "Are you sure you're okay? …Maybe you should go to see a doctor."**

"**I'm fine…" He could hear her gag, followed by the very familiar noise of someone becoming physically ill. "J-Just…don't worry about it." The young man sighed and went back to work, glancing at the door occasionally. Though he knew she loved L, he couldn't help the fact that he had fallen for her as well. "I hope she's really okay…"**

"**I'm sure she's fine. I mean, she said so herself, right?" Aizawa said, storing a file into one of the many steel file cabinets lining the wall next to him. "There's no point in worrying over something that she refuses to take care of." Matsuda, feeling anger flare up in his chest, was about to retort but was stopped by L's voice.**

"**He is right. We cannot allow ourselves to become overly worried about her to the point where none of us can work on the case…" The detective bit his thumb as he tried to force down his worried thoughts. After a while she emerged from the bathroom, the color having returned to her cheeks and an arm thrown around her stomach.**

"**I'm starving…I feel like I haven't eaten in three days," she said, rubbing her stomach as another spike of pain jabbed at it. The very convincing growl that followed her statement would have made anyone else believe she hadn't eaten, but they knew better. Watari walked in at that moment, pushing a cart full of desserts in front of him.**

"**Would Miss Moriko care for something to eat then? There is a large amount of chocolate cake today, if you'd like some," he said in his normally polite manner, his English accent nearly hidden. Moriko looked over the cart quickly, thinking, before shaking her head.**

"**Actually…I was thinking more along the lines of something savory, like…curry rice," she said, her stomach growling once again as she pictured her meal. A large bowl of white rice, covered in a curry sauce, topped with pickled radishes. Perfection in a bowl. Silence fell over the entire room as everyone stared at her in shock, including the normally stoic L. It was Matsuda, however, who appeared to be the most surprised: his mouth hung open and his eyes were wide.**

"**B-but…you said you didn't like spicy food, especially not curry! And you said that pickled radishes were disgusting!" the young police officer exclaimed, staring at her in near disbelief. Looking at each of them for a moment, she smiled.**

"**Well, that is true…And I still think they are. It just sounds **_**really**_** good right now." She waved at Watari, smiling hugely, "Oh, but don't worry about it, okay? I'll go make it myself. Thank you for thinking of me, Watari-san." And with that, she left the room, heading for the kitchen and leaving a very confused group behind. Though appearing calm on the outside, on the inside L's mind was racing. 'Something must be terribly wrong with her…Vomiting daily for the past week, craving highly unusual foods, acting strangely distant…' He sipped his coffee quickly, pretending to go over the case information. 'I'd say there is only a fifteen percent chance that this is a stomach virus. Moriko…what on earth is going on with you??' ~~**

**Sitting at her kitchen table, Moriko quickly went through her third bowl of curry rice with pickled turnips (since she had eaten the pickled radishes earlier that morning, along with an entire jar of kosher dill pickles), her mind also working at a furious pace. 'Vomiting, odd food cravings, fatigue, breast tenderness…I can't believe I was so careless. This is bad…this wasn't supposed to happen, not now! Not in the middle of the KIRA case! Oh…he'll be so upset with me.' "…He might even hate me…" Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as the thought occurred to her. '…I can't stand only guessing. I have to take some kind of test to prove it…' Her cell phone rang, startling her from her thoughts. She quickly answered it on the third ring, trying to conceal the worried tone in her voice. "Y-yes?"**

"**Yes, Miss Moriko? What I am about to ask you is very personal, and I would understand completely if you did not wish to answer. However, I find that it is imperative that I ask," the voice which she immediately recognized as Watari's said from the phone's speaker. Moriko stayed quiet for a moment before saying it was okay for him to ask. "I am going out this afternoon as I do every few days in order to stock up on food supplies. Would you like for me to pick up a pregnancy test for you on my way back?" he asked, not even the slightest hint of awkwardness or embarrassment able to be heard as he spoke.**

**A much longer pause, then, finally, she sighed, "Yes…Thank you, Watari-san."~~**

**// …The next day… //**

L watched his love out of the corner of his eyes carefully, unable to concentrate on the task at hand. He, Light, and Moriko had gone to Misa's room for the scheduled 'date'. The blonde woman sighed, annoyed at the two unwanted and uninvited guests. "Man, this has got to be the worst date I've ever been on. Why do _they_," she said, pointing at L and Moriko, "have to be here?!" Picking up his teacup and slurping the contents noisily, L sighed as he also slowly began to feel annoyance.

"I must make sure that Light-kun does not do anything KIRA-like, so I must be with him twenty four hours a day," he replied, taking a rather large bite of the cake sitting in front of him. Misa growled, flailing her arms and almost hitting Moriko in what Aizawa called a bitch fit: she ranted about how she never got to see nor spend time with her precious Light, and how she hated the investigation and everyone on it except Light. Sitting on the couch next to her, Moriko attempted to block out the noise, pinching the bridge of her nose in hopes of soothing her throbbing head. L and Light, ignoring the raging blonde, were talking amongst themselves about the case.

"…I can't believe my Light-kun has to be chained to a perverted freak like Ryuzaki!!" she screeched, hitting the pillow next to her as she began another rant. The other woman twitched as something similar to anger began to build in her.

"Amane-san…please do not speak about Ryuzaki-kun that way. He is simply trying to-" Misa cut in, interrupting her as she now directed her newest bitch-fit-rant-from-hell at her.

"What he's _trying_ to do is separate me and Light-kun! He doesn't have a clue how we feel, and he never will! It's not like anyone would ever seriously fall in love with a creepy freak like him!" About to reach her tolerance limit on her insulting her love, Moriko felt her hands clench into fists. Just as she was about to say something in retaliation, there was the sudden sound of flesh contacting flesh as Light punched L hard across the face, sending, thanks to the chain, both men flying across the room.

"Ah, L-ku-" In response, L sent a kick up into the teen's jaw, both of them falling back and toppling over the couch. Misa cheered for Light and, when he got hit, began to throw more insults at the detective. Through all of the chaos, Moriko had managed to remain calm. However, the familiar sick feeling soon washed over her, sending her to hover over the nearest wastebasket. The others in the room, having not noticed, continued their brawling and shouting. The black haired woman held her head in her hands, willing the sharp pain to subside. "Please…" The noise seemed to increase as each second passed. Then, the phone rang as Matsuda called the room, causing her to finally snap. "_**Quiet!!!**_" she shouted, unable to be heard otherwise over the noise. Everyone in Misa's room and the investigation room immediately quieted, staring at her with a mix of shock and amazement, not knowing she could raise her voice in that way. "Stop…yelling…" She leaned over again as another wave of nausea came, holding her head tightly and sending her stomach contents to relocate into the trashcan.

"Hey…maybe you should really go to a hospital, "Light said, releasing his grasp on the front of L's white long-sleeved shirt. Misa looked at her disgusted and started whining about who was going to clean that up.

Moriko sighed heavily and mumbled, "No……I'm going back to work." She stood shakily and headed for the door, her eyes refusing to meet L's as she walked past him. Worried, L began to follow after her but she said, "I'll tell you later…" Then, she closed the door and went to her own room.

**// …Around two hours later… //**

Aizawa locked the handcuff at the opposite end of the chain around his wrist, leading Light back into the investigation room as L quickly made his way to Moriko's room. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed, holding it as if he were holding a lizard by the tail. Like it was disgusting and he didn't want to touch it more than necessary. "Watari, please shut down all cameras, wiretaps, and microphones in Moriko-chan's room. I believe her and I have very important matters to discuss."

The older man chuckled quietly, smiling to himself. "Yes, I'm sure you do. Everything has been shut off, as you requested." After saying thanks, they both hung up and, now in front of the door, L knocked and waited to be let in.

"Come in…" a voice called, and he opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. She was sitting on the couch with both knees pulled up to her chest with her arms draped around them. "Oh, L-kun…I'm sorry about earlier." He sat next to her, looking at her seriously. She avoided his gaze, twirling her hair gently as her other hand now rested on her knees, her fingers drumming against her kneecap. "You have to promise that you will not hate me…okay?" she said quietly, looking down at the carpet.

"You know I won't…Now, something is bothering you. What is it?" he asked, wanting to get to the point. Unknowingly, he had made her even more nervous, thinking that asking him not to hate her was just a way to stall. She sighed, looking out the window directly in front of her.

"…Do you remember that night almost a month ago? Three weeks ago?" Of course he did; It had been the most memorable and happiest night of his life, But that didn't supply him with a very satisfactory answer. Seeing this, she pulled out a small plastic bag containing a pink wand-shaped object, the words 'Miracle Test' printed on its side. Confused, L took it and examined it further, noticing a pink plus on the little screen in the center.

"What is this??" he asked, turning the bag over in his hands as he tried to decipher the meaning of the little pink plus. Moriko drew a shaky breath and exhaled deeply, trying to decide on how to tell him. Figuring that the blunt approach would work best for L, she quietly mumbled her response. L leaned closer, "I cannot hear you if you mumble, Moriko…" He didn't know what this thing was, but it was obvious that it was something of extreme importance for her to be so upset over it.

"…A-a pregnancy test…" The plastic bag almost slipped from between L's fingers as he whirled to face her. She was not looking at him, but at the floor, her bangs shadowing her eyes to where he couldn't see them. 'A pregnancy test…"

"…How long have you…" he began, but his voice trailed off as he continued to stare at the little wand. A plus. Positive.

"Since yesterday afternoon, for certain…But I had my suspicions before then." L looked at her carefully, unsure of how to proceed in a situation like this.

"…So…are you…" he began to ask uncertainly, stopping as he saw her hands shaking.

"…Yes…I'm pre-…p-pregnant." The man's mind was a mess of tangled emotions: confusion, happiness, anger, and sadness mixed in his mind until he wasn't sure which was which. 'Moriko is pregnant…She is pregnant and it is my doing! …But why am I just now hearing about this?! …Perhaps…she does not want this?' Just as he was about to speak, he heard a quiet sniff.

"I-I'm sorry…I'm s-sorry…" Moriko hid her face in her hands as she began to cry quietly, her shoulders shaking ever so slightly. 'Please…don't hate me…' "I…I-I know that we're in the K-KIRA case…I-I didn't mean to. Please…d-don't hate m-me…" L looked at her, surprise still evident on his face, before he sighed and pulled her into his arms.

"You know that I could never hate you…And why would I for you being pregnant? It was not you alone who did this. If anything, it is my fault. I apologize if you are unhappy with being pregnant, but…" He kissed the top of her head, "To be honest, I don't think I've ever been so happy…" His heart felt like it would burst from everything that had happened so recently. The woman he adored returned his love, they shared a moment so intimate that he was still sure it had only been a dream, and now…Now there was the chance that they could have a child. All of the most wonderful things that normal men experienced that, for his entire life, he was so sure he himself would never get to experience are happening to him. He doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Thank you…Moriko." Something wet fell and landed in her hair, and she sat up and looked him in the eyes.

"Oh Lawliet…" she murmured quietly, brushing away the few tears that had managed to fall from his eyes as he smiled at her happily. "I'm so glad…" She opened her arms and he gladly went to them, his head resting on her chest as she stroked a hand through his smooth, almost silky black, unkempt hair. He nodded, hugging her gently around the waist as he sighed.

"I am, also…I've finally been able to give you something in return. But more so…I'm glad that it's you who is pregnant with my child." Moriko smiled, basking in the warmth and happiness she could feel radiating from within him.

'Yes…I wouldn't pick any other man in the entire world over you. You're the only one…You're the only one that has been, is, and will ever be my lover…'~~

Watari sipped at his tea quietly, smiling despite himself at the news. "I suppose that this technically makes me a grandfather, doesn't it?" He chuckled as he readjusted his spectacles. 'L, you have accomplished more in your life than any other man could even dream of. And now you have reached the things for which you have longed for so long… I told you, Miss Moriko really is a nice girl.'


	5. Chapter 5: Altercations and Comforts

**(A.N.: I'm updating all that I have so far…since I may not be on again for a little while. I'll try to work on this, but I'm testing out of school, so I have a lot of tests to study for… Anyways, I hope you enjoy this newest chapter…Oh, and I don't own Death Note. It belongs to Tsugumi Obah and Takeshi Obata (sorry if I spelled their names right ). I do like to say that I own L though…He's amazing. ^^)**

**~~Chapter Five~~**

**// …Three months later… //**

"Finally, the morning sickness is over with! Now I can help the taskforce with the KIRA case more effectively." Moriko smiled to herself pleasantly as she sat in her suite's kitchen munching on some chocolate pocky dipped in marshmallow cream. Her strange cravings hadn't dissipated with the vomiting, but at least it was transitioning back to sweets. Maybe now Matsuda would stop staring at her so strangely when she would eat her lunch downstairs. Deciding that she had slept in enough, she quickly walked to the closet in her bedroom and searched for something to wear. She grabbed her favorite sweater and put it on, thinking that she'd be able to wear it, but one look down at her stomach told her otherwise. Her steadily growing 'baby-bump' was showing; It had gotten big enough to where it could be seen through her loose fitting sweaters. She sighed, "Oh well…I guess I'll just have to dress in extra baggy clothes today…" Digging out her second favorite, extra baggy light blue hooded sweatshirt, she threw it on over a tank top and went back into the kitchen. After grabbing her snack (a jar of marshmallow cream and a large box of chocolate pocky) she departed for the investigation room.~~

The room was surprisingly noisy, Chief Yagami scurrying around looking for files as L was walking upstairs to Misa's room with Light. Matsuda and Mogi were quickly looking up the names that the chief called out, apparently trying to discover if there was an uncomplicated way to arrest all seven remaining Yotsuba members on the evidence obtained from the security cameras and microphones that Wedy had placed in their meeting room. According to the mood Chief Yagami was in, there wasn't.

"Good morning everyone!" she said cheerfully, greeting everyone in the room with a warm smile. They all turned and greeted her in return, only briefly, before returning to work. 'Well…am I only offended because of my hormones, or were they just really rude?' She sat on the sofa and, out of habit, tried to put her leg up to her chest. It proved difficult, however, so she decided to give up on the endeavor and sat with both feet on the ground. She watched them run about the room for a while before standing, asking, "Would you like help with something? I would be glad to assist you, Yagami-san." He glanced at her for a second before turning back to the papers he was searching through.

"No, that's alright. I'm sure Matsuda, Mogi and I will be able to do this," he said, a slight edge to his voice.

"Uh okay…Just know you can call if you need anything, alright?" she replied uncertainly before getting up and climbing the stairs to Misa's room. Just as she reached the door, she could already hear Misa's voice coming through into the hallway.

"You really do understand how I feel, don't you??" she asked.

"Yes," L's voice then said, "Misa Amane is indisputably the most perfect woman for Light-kun. Her love is unrivaled." Moriko raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what he was trying to accomplish by flattery. She opened the door and stepped in, turning to close the door before looking to see where the others were. Light, Misa, and L all stood in the middle of her living room.

"Yay! You're so sweet!!" Misa exclaimed happily as she skipped over and kissed L on the cheek. He tried to hide his disgusted face as she did so, turning his action of wiping off his cheek into touching it gently.

"…I could actually fall for you," he said, winking at Moriko before either of the other two could see it. The jealousy and anger the raven haired woman felt before faded slightly, allowing her to realize that she was glaring at Misa and that she needed to stop. "Ah, Moriko-chan, you're just in time! Misa has just agreed to help us in our plans to arrest the Yotsuba member who is KIRA."

"Oh, is that so?…Well, then I hope all four of us can work together then," she said, smiling despite the dislike she felt toward the blonde woman at that moment. They all talked about how they were going to work together until Moriko got hungry, then they all ate the food Watari had so kindly brought them. Moriko was very happily enjoying her snack from her room along with a bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, while L sat next to her and shared that and his own large slice of strawberry cake. Light hid his amazement very well as he munched at a turkey club, and Misa stared on in disgust as she picked at a salad. Everything considered, it was a normal lunch hour…except for when Misa decided to be…well…Misa.

"You know…you really shouldn't eat so many sweets, Momo-chan. They can be really bad for you," she pointed out, nearly gagging when she saw the other woman dip her marshmallow covered pocky into the ice cream and eat it. Said woman looked up at her confused.

"Yes, but I eat other things, too. I eat a lot of healthy things. Fruit, grains, meat, ve-" she started, but was cut off by the ever annoying "tsk" sound that Misa made when preparing to rant.

"Well duh, but I mean, you eat a lot. And I mean _a lot._ Do you have any idea how much you eat?? Besides all of the sweets, I saw you down three bowls of beef ramen yesterday! Three! That's, like, a whole day's worth or something, right??" Light sighed and tried his best to tune her out whilst L did the same. Misa sighed heavily, looking the other woman over critically. "Besides, you're eating so much that you're getting fat." If there was ever a moment when a word seemed to echo into empty space, it was then. All eyes were now on the two women, one of which was smirking victoriously as the other was staring in shock.

"…Fat? Did…you just call me fat?" Moriko asked, hoping she had heard wrong. Misa wasn't the smartest, but she wasn't that mean…was she?

"Yes, I did. Because it's true! I mean, look at yourself! You're getting so big it's no wonder you can't wear that pretty sweater I gave you anymore!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up into the air for emphasis.

"That sweater was two sizes too small for me, Amane-san."

"How so?? It was loose around the waist and that's where it counts!"

"Yes, but I have larger breasts than you do. So, obviously, I'd need a larger size shirt." Everyone froze, for she had just stepped into forbidden territory. For one girl to say she has bigger breasts was similar to a guy saying his was bigger…you just weren't supposed to do it. Moriko, however, being ignorant in that particular category of the laws of society, was not aware of her blunder. Misa was slowly turning red.

"You do not! And even if you did, men like cute little girls! Not fat asses like you!!" she screamed, standing and pointing a finger at Moriko's stomach. Moriko now stood, her eyes watering slightly from the hormones running through her system.

"I am not fat!"

"Yes, you are! What the hell do you call that?!! Baby fat?!? Because either way, it's still F-A-T!!"

Both women were now glaring at each other, looking like wolves in for the kill. Ryuk cowered in the corner as he watched. He certainly wasn't laughing now. Light was trying to talk to Misa, to quiet her, but she was far from listening: she couldn't even hear him. L, on the other hand, kept a quiet eye on his girlfriend, trying to read her emotions from her expression.

"You're fat and you're just trying to cover it with those big ass clothes of yours! Which are completely hideous, by the way. No wonder there isn't a guy in the world who would fu-"

"Why don't _you_ get pregnant and see if _you_ don't put on a little weight!?!" Moriko yelled in return, her hormones reaching a new level as her eyes began to tear up. Everyone besides L and Watari were completely stunned, staring on in complete shock at what they'd just heard. Misa's mouth was agape, eyes wide. Light was looking from her to L, connecting the dots immediately, and everyone down in the investigation room just looked amazed and confused. The pregnant woman looked shocked herself, raising a hand to her mouth. "I…I'm sorry, Amane-san……I didn't mean to raise my voice…" She sat back down, pulling her knees to her chest the best that she could as she pushed her dessert away from her on the table. Misa was the first person to comment, of course, her eyes opening even wider as she nearly fainted at hearing the news.

"…**YOU'RE **_**PREGNANT?!?!?!?!**_"~~

"I'm sorry, L-kun…I know that was very foolish. I really didn't mean to…It must be the hormones," she said later, after having to tell everyone that they were expecting a child. She was now sitting on the bed in her room, a hand absentmindedly on her growing stomach as L walked in, sitting beside her.

"No need to be, love. They were bound to find out sooner or later." He kissed her cheek gently, running a hand through her hair. "But are you alright? I don't believe I have ever heard you yell like that before…You didn't let the things Misa-san was saying get to you, did you?" She cast her eyes downward, twirling her hair: a sure sign that she had. L sighed and held her busied hand, pulling her to lean against his shoulder. "Don't let her get to you. You know that you are not fat, and I don't see you that way." She sighed quietly, looking at him with sad eyes.

"Then…how do you see me? I mean, I'm getting huge…Surely you must not think very highly of me right now…" she said, rubbing her stomach. L gently kissed her neck, causing her face to turn pink.

"Would you care for me to show you just how highly I think of you…? Because I think you are even more beautiful than you were before, if possible. You may be growing, but you have a life growing inside of you. Be proud of that fact…I am." He smiled at her, twirling her hair around his own fingers playfully as he watched her expression change. She smiled brightly before tackling him in a hug, rubbing her cheek against his own.

"Thank you so much, Lawliet… That's exactly what I needed to hear. I feel much better now," she said, sighing in content.

"I'm glad to have been of assistance, love. However, be prepared. We have to start getting you new clothes soon, correct?" he asked, wanting to make sure that what he'd read on the internet was true. She nodded, "Alright, then we'll go tomorrow before our visitors arrive." 'I only hope that does not end in disaster…'

At that moment, a plane was boarded in England. Three teenage boys, one of which was munching on a chocolate bar, took their seats. The blonde teen smirked as the plane began to take off, his thoughts jumbled and excited. 'Only a few hours…Then we'll be staying with L for a month! I can't wait…I'll finally have my chance to show just how superior I am to that damn albino freak!! I will be number one!!…I wonder who this person L said we were going to meet is. I'll have to see if they're worthy of being in L's presence!' He took a rather large bite of his chocolate bar, his smirk growing as he imagined how his stay would be.

The white haired teen absentmindedly twirled a lock of his hair around his fingers, putting together a blank puzzle. He was excited to be staying with L, no doubt, but he was not the type to show how he feels. He was blank, emotionless on the outside. As he was meant to be if he was going to succeed L.

Playing a Nintendo DS, furiously pressing buttons on the handheld, the red-haired teen stared at the little lit screen from behind orange tinted goggles. He was also thinking of his stay with L, only on other subjects. '…Wonder if I can get away with smoking at L's place.'~~

**(A.N.: Hm, wonder who that could be… ^_^)**


	6. Chapter 6: Meet the Successors

**~~Chapter Six~~**

**// …the next day… //**

"It appears that our guests are here at last…" L said quietly when a loud, hard knock came at the door. Moriko looked up from her book (a pregnancy book, of course) and felt a slight panic settle in the pit of her stomach. 'I can't help but worry what they'll think…L-kun told me they were his successors. They may not approve…' She pushed herself up from the couch and trotted to the door, opening it to see Watari accompanied by what she saw was two children.

"Oh, good morning Watari-san… Are these L's guests…?" she asked, peeking around the older man to see them. He chuckled quietly at her curiosity and stepped aside.

"Yes. Please let L know that they have arrived, though he most likely already knows. I will bring up their luggage later this evening," he said, then he bowed and left. Moriko watched him leave for a moment before looking down at the guests. There were three of them: one had shoulder length blonde hair and wore all black, one had reddish brown hair and goggles, and the third appeared to be an albino, only he had coal colored eyes instead of red ones. She was so absorbed in looking at them that she didn't notice the glare one was sending her.

"Hey! You gonna move so we can get in or what?" the blonde boy asked, his voice loud and his tone demanding. She quickly stepped aside and bowed as low as she could with her stomach in the way.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you in the hallway…" The boy sniffed at her and strode in, glancing around the room. The red head followed him, not bothering to look up from the PSP he held in his hands. "Um…L-kun is in the living room, if you're looking for him…" she said, closing the door after the white haired boy shuffled in. The blonde haired boy whirled around and leered at her, his teeth bared slightly as the chocolate bar in his hand was crushed.

"_L-kun_?! Just who the hell do you think you are to call him that?! What are you even doing in L's room!?!," he yelled, his icy blue eyes glaring daggers at her. She was about to apologize when a voice came from behind them.

"Mello, that is no way to treat a woman. Do not yell at her," L said in his normal monotone, his hands tucked in the front pockets of his jeans as he stared down the boy. Mello growled quietly and glared at Moriko one last time before finally giving in, stomping off into the living room and plopping down on the couch, followed shortly by the red-haired boy. The detective made his way over to her, grasping her wrist and tugging her along after him. "Near. Please come join us. You will not have to sit next to Mello or Matt." Moriko looked back at the white haired boy, known as Near, and felt her heart ache a little. 'He reminds me so much of L-kun…' Once they were all seated in the living room, Mello and Matt on the couch opposite the one L and Moriko sat on. Near sat on the floor nearby, one leg pulled up to his chest and a puzzle on the floor in front of him.

"So, L, who is she anyways? Some cleaning lady you hired? Isn't it dangerous to have people like _her_ around?" Mello asked, leering at her from across the room. Moriko tried her best to keep eye contact, but the looks he gave her made her want only to stare down at her hands seated in her lap.

"This," he began, motioning towards the woman seated beside him, "is Moriko Kurata. She is a part of this task force and has been a great help in obtaining evidence against KIRA. She is a respected member of this team, and I happen to trust her as much as I do Watari." At this Mello looked shocked, and he stared at Moriko in disbelief.

"B-but…She can't be so great, just look at her! She probably went and got herself knocked up by some random guy! Why would you trust-" He was cut off by a suddenly angry voice.

"That is enough, Mello." L's voice was cold, and he sighed as he attempted to regain his composure. "Now that you have brought up the topic, I may as well speak of it. Moriko is pregnant because of me. That is _my_ child she is carrying." Moriko blushed at the possessive way he spoke of the unborn child, and it only increased when he brushed a lock of stray hair out of her face. "I suppose…she is what you would call my lover," he continued, anticipating what would come next. Everyone was quiet, the room silent enough to hear a pin drop, until the dam finally burst.

"WHAT?!?!!!!!" Mello nearly screamed, his voice cracking slightly and eyes wide as he stared from L to Moriko. "HOW THE HELL DID SHE MANAGE TO SEDUCE YOU?!!! DID SHE DRUG YOU OR SOMETHING!?!?" The boy next to him was also surprised; they could see that his emerald eyes were also opened wide when he lifted the orange-tinted goggles off of his eyes.

"Dude, no way…Seriously?! You got someone laid?!! You're kidding, right?!!" Matt mused, half laughing as he finally turned off the video game in his hands and set it aside. "That's, like…I didn't think it'd ever happen! Is that really possible?!!" L sighed, rubbing his temples as an obvious headache formed.

"Please stop shouting. No, she did not seduce me…at least, not intentionally. And she most certainly did not drug me. Also, Matt, do not use such crude terms," he muttered, leaning his head back for a moment before getting up and walking into the kitchen. "I require sugar…Would you like anything, Moriko-chan?"

"Um…n-no, I'm alright…Thank you, though," she replied, smiling nervously as he left. Mello glared at her once again, his eyes narrowed. "I don't know why you seem to dislike me so much…"

"You're nowhere near good enough for L. You shouldn't even be here," he said, smirking when he saw her smile falter. "You don't deserve to be here, and you know it. So why don't you just go home??" The boy next to him looked between the two, actually feeling sorry for her. 'Even she doesn't deserve this...' Moriko sighed, her face void of emotion as she spoke.

"I know…I knew that before I even knew him. I would never be good enough for anyone, or anything. I know he's too good for me…but still…" She paused, holding her hands over her heart. "I love him…and he loves me. I wouldn't dream of living in a world without him anymore. He's the only person I have…I would do anything to save him, even face KIRA myself, if I had to." Standing at the door leading from the kitchen, L felt a smile come to his lips as he listened to her once quiet voice grow with confidence and stubbornness he'd never known her to have before. "L has become my home…He's the only person with whom I belong. So, I apologize, but, like it or not, I'm going to remain with him, by his side." Near looked up from his puzzle and saw L at the door, smiling. Curiosity settled into him as he continued to watch the woman his mentor had 'fallen in love with', and his observation began. Mello, on the other hand, was smirking to himself, his bangs shadowing his eyes.

"Is that so..? Well then, I guess we'll just have to deal, huh?" he said, gently elbowing Matt in the ribs. His friend nodded, pulling the goggles back over his eyes as he picked up his abandoned game. Moriko stared for a moment before a warm smile made its way to her lips and she nodded. Without any reason, Mello and Matt found themselves smiling slightly as well. 'Damn, it's contagious…She sure is strange. No wonder L likes her so much,' the gamer thought, switching on his game and continuing to play where he left off. The man at the doorway sighed in relief, the slight panic he'd felt over the situation dissipating. 'I was worried that she would become depressed with what Mello had said…But she retaliated. I suppose the pregnancy hormones are making her more stubborn. To be honest with myself…I think I might like these things called 'pregnancy hormones.'~~

The hum of electronics sounded through the room as L opened his laptop, locking the door and opening the internet browser. 'I wonder...' His thin fingers moved quickly from the keys as he typed "effects of pregnancy hormones" into the search engine. He nearly gasped at what he saw. 'Increased... 150-200%?! Incredible...Outstanding...' "I never would have guessed that they would do something like this to her..." Adrenaline began to sweep through his system as he imagined what was to come... or, for that matter, who. Moving rapidly, he then looked up a new search. A light blush rose to his cheeks, 'Oral...what?? I've never even heard of-' A knock sounded at the door, followed by a soft voice.

"L-kun...? Are you in there? Mello and Near are fighting again. Wh-what should I do?" He quickly closed the browser and deleted the internet's history, then closed the laptop before standing and answering the door. "I-I'm sorry to bother you with this, I just..." Her voice drifted off as she looked curiously at him. "...Are you okay? Your face is red..." L smirked ever so slightly, barely enough to be noticed, and pulled her into the dark room, closing the door behind them. The startled woman looked up at him, shaking slightly. "U-um… L-ku-" She was cut of as he claimed her lips in a heated kiss, causing a dark blush to rise to her cheeks. His hands run up and down her sides, caressing gently before he pulls her into him, reveling in the soft moan that escapes her lips. Just as she recovered from the shock and began to react, however, he pulled away.

"Ah, yes… They always fight. I'll go get them to settle down," he said, smiling at her innocently before taking his leave. Moriko placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm her raging heartbeat and regain her composure.

"Wh-what just…" She looked down the hallway after him, confused and startled. He had been very uncertain about physical activity since he discovered she was pregnant, afraid that in doing so may harm the unborn baby. 'Has he changed his mind…?' She drew a deep breath to steady herself and, after a moment to calm her nerves, followed him into the living room. Before she even arrived, she could hear another heated argument in progress.

"It's all Near's fault! He took one of my chocolate bars, I know it!" a voice she recognized as Mello's yell.

"We both know that I don't even like chocolate, Mello. Who are you trying to fool here?" the quiet, monotonous boy asked, smashing two of his toy robots into each other. The blonde growled and launched himself at the albino boy, hands balled into fists. In retaliation, the younger boy pulled at the other's hair, ripping and scratching in an attempt to fight back.

"That's enough!" L shouted, pulling Near up while Matt did the same to Mello. The boys all looked up at their mentor, slightly ashamed. "You two will stop fighting or I will send you back to England tonight. Understood?" he asked firmly. Near gave a silent nod, returning to playing with his toys, while Mello glared at him, his breathing still ragged from the brawl. "Mello. Do you understand?" The boy shrugged off his friend's hold and stormed off, kicking over a large stack of books before whirling around and glaring at L.

"You always take his side! I hate it! If you favor him so much, then why don't you just make him L right now?!" he screamed, kicking one of the books across the room. Before anyone knew what had happened, Mello was being held from behind, his arms held to his sides in a tight embrace. "…!!"

"All of this over a bar of chocolate…? Really now…" Moriko said softly, hugging the shaking boy to her. "We have whole boxes of chocolate in the kitchen. Why not just go and get some instead of fighting so pointlessly with Near?" Mello pushed her off of him violently, sending her stumbling backwards, almost making her lose her balance.

"What would you know?! You have no idea what we go through! You live a happy little fricken' life: always laughing, always smiling, always so damn happy! You don't know what real suffering is!!" he bellowed, his voice cracking and his body shaking. He turned away from everyone, kicking another book hard into the wall, destroying the hard cover and tearing out pages. Moriko sighed quietly, kneeling as best she could with her stomach in the way and began picking up the fallen books.

"You're wrong… My life isn't really as happy as I make it look. It's true, I don't know suffering like you do, but… suffering comes in all shapes and sizes." Mello stopped and whirled around and glared at her, "I don't see the point in crying over something that happened in the past…something I can't control. You're expected to become perfection on a daily basis, and… I lived with a sexually abusive older brother for eleven years… Both are suffering, are they not?"

"They're not the same… You have no ide-"

"I don't have any idea… Not at all," she said, tears coming to her eyes. "I'm sorry that you go through so much… All of you. I can understand how you must feel about me… I'm taking away the one thing you're trying to become. And I'm sorry…" Mello sighed, picking up the battered book and handing it to her.

"… I'm going to bed." He strode toward his bedroom, stopping at the doorway as Matt followed close behind before closing the door. L sighed and sat heavily on the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Moriko-chan… I'm-"

"There's nothing to apologize for… " She looked up at him and gave a warm smile, tears still barely present in the corners of her sapphire eyes. "It's… all in the past." The detective smiled slightly, ruffling his young successor's hair before leaving for his room.

"I'm going to take a shower… This is just too much stress for one evening," he said, looking back and winking playfully at Moriko. She blushed and smiled, giving a small wave.

"I'll be there shortly." The man chuckled quietly before he disappeared from view.

Sitting on the floor with one knee drawn up to his chest, Near twirled a lock of his white hair around his fingers, thinking. 'He is obviously attracted to her, and they also must have had intercourse, in order for her to become impregnated… Does L have a Lolita complex?'

**(Near thinks about strange things, doesn't he…? ^^" For those who don't know, Moriko is indeed an adult, being twenty years old, but she looks younger, more like eighteen years. Regardless…**

**Thus ends this chapter. I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I had homework to do over the summer, my new job, and housework. I'll try to update more from now on, though it may take longer. Also, the next upcoming chapter is another hentai scene, just so you all are aware. I wonder what L will do with his newly found information… We'll see. ^^)**

**NEXT CHAPTER!**

**Chapter Seven: The Particulars of Pregnancy**


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